Jeremy Hammond

With the onslaught of a string of police brutality stories over the last few years, including the grotesque nature of the Thomas Kelly incident, we are living in incredibly precarious times where those in power have let it go to their heads.

Jason Hammond is charged with participating in the assault against white supremacists who were attending the 5th annual White Nationalist Economic Summit and Illinois White Nationalist Meet-and-Greet in Tinley Park, Ill.

The case of Jeremy Hammond is illustrative of a trend to target, overcharge and come down hard on those the state perceives as threatening. The supposed threats are due to their beliefs and/or actions toward information freedom and transparency.

Can students really be taught critical thinking, civics, and citizenship skills in a standardized format that values conformity? Will relying on MOOCs and automation in the long-term turn professors into "delivery managers" and students into automatons and passive consumers rather than citizens?